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"We've got a momentous challenge ahead of us" - Stephen Rochford prepares for Tyrone clash after victory at Croke Park

Mayo boss Stephen Rochford says that the mistakes his side made against Westmeath this afternoon ...



"We've got a momentous...
Football

"We've got a momentous challenge ahead of us" - Stephen Rochford prepares for Tyrone clash after victory at Croke Park

Mayo boss Stephen Rochford says that the mistakes his side made against Westmeath this afternoon will not go unpunished by the "quality teams" in the competition.

The Connacht side ran out seven point winners this afternoon at Croke Park, but were outscored in the second period by Westmeath conceded 1-14 over the course of the game.

Rochford insisted that his side were ultimately out for the win, but that there will need to be improvements to the team before they meet Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-final next week. 

"We turned over the ball a bit easily and not always under pressure," he told Off The Ball's Dave McIntyre. "Silly turnovers and we really got penalised for two or three of them.

"We put six balls in the goalkeepers hands and over the course of the game they got three scores from it. We had some good momentum and played well for a good period in that first half and we were eight points up at half time. I think that was probably a fair lead.   

Westmeath 'keeper Darren Quinn over-carries in the box to concede the penalty. Image: ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

"The concession of the goal will be disappointing... But you have to take that. We got a fortuitous penalty, but the group will be disappointed with how we played in that second half. We're better than that and we let them come at us. 

"The concession of easy possession against good teams and the quality teams that will be left in the competition will certainly penalise us."

Rochford reaffirmed though that the result was what they came for today and it's job done as far as they're concerned.

"If someone had told me at five-to-six that we would be in the All-Ireland quarter-final... That was ultimately that was the aim through the qualifiers. We're into the last eight and we'll ultimately embrace that.

"We've got a momentous challenge ahead of us  in what lies ahead with Tyrone, but we'll embrace that and we'll turn up next week to give it one hell of a shot.

"We'll have to review the second half in relation to what we did poorly. A fortnight ago we were looking at the midfield. We were a lot better in that area of the field today. In the first half we scored 2-10, we kicked seven wides so you know there's still opportunities there."

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